Look, I'm no fan of Mandel or the way he'd been conducting his campaign. His attempt to be Donald Trump-light was transparent and cheap. But kicking a man when his wife is sick crosses a line of decency that should trouble anyone with a soul.

This is what I hate about the toxic state of our current political discourse. Some of us have simply forgotten when and how to shut down the political rhetoric and vitriol machine. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have been complicit in incubating these hateful attitudes. This is why we need more moderate politicians who will run on the merits of their ideas, not those who only want to win elections at all costs through extreme arguments, name-calling, stoking fears and other divisive tactics. Some might argue the chickens of mean-spiritedness that Mandel sent out during his campaign are now coming home to roost. But no one should be rejoicing over Mandel dropping out under these circumstances.

This time a year ago, I wrote about my concern for America's future, primarily because of the way we were talking and treating each other in the wake of Trump's presidential victory. I'm even more concerned now than I was back then. We continue to dehumanize one another without giving it a second thought. Those with differing political views are subhuman idiots not worthy of the air they breathe much less common courtesy. How else do you explain tweeting that Mandel "has a punchable face" or "WOO HOO" in response to news revealing his wife is suffering from an ailment so serious that he temporarily ends a promising political future?

I shake my head at what I see our great nation becoming and I question if we even want to be redeemed. The faithful side of me wants to believe we can achieve what Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democrat House Speaker Tip O'Neill were able to back in the 1980s: political adversaries by day but cordial to one another after five.